Reed for musical instruments



a 1938. H. 'r. PRESCOTT 2,106,016

REED FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed July 3, 1935 f H W q k/fh @ke nior Patented Jan. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT QEFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention. relates to reeds for musical instruments and more particularly to the provision of a reed adapted for use in connection with the mouthpiece of a wind instrument such as a saxophone, clarinet or similar musical instrument.

An object of the invention. is to provide an improved reed.

Another object is to provide a reed capable of producing sounds of improved quality.

Another object is to provide a reed which requires less effort on. the part of the player to operate the same.

Another object is to provide a reed which is particularly adapted for producing the lowest register and middle register tones.

Another object is to provide a reed which is capable of producing fuller tones in the lower registers.

Another object is to provide a reed which is capable of producing sub-tones when used on a clarinet.

A further object is to produce a reed which attains the foregoing objects and in addition has its marginal edges free.

A further object is to produce a reed having an increased or extended marginal vibrational area.

Another object is to produce a reed which emits sound waves having a wave-form that produces musical sounds of improved quality.

A further object is to provide a reed which has certain of its marginal portions cut away to release adjacent portions from the means for clamping the reed on a mouthpiece.

A further object is to provide a reed which has certain of its marginal portions cut-in to release adjacent portions thereof from the clamping means and at the same time has other parts of its marginal portions cut-in or reduced in thickness to release the marginal portions of the reed from said clamping means.

Another object is to provide a reed having a greater freedom of vibration without sacrificing the sturdy backbone essential to provide the necessary resiliency or resistance to keep the reed Fig. 2 is a side view of the new reed shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a further embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of a further embodiment;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a further embodiment;

Fig. '7 is a top plan View of the new reed, illustrated in Figs. 1. and 2, shown clamped in playing position on a mouthpiece by a ligature;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, and more particular- 1y to Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 8, the novel reed is formed with a rear thick portion. l and a front portion 2 tapering from said thick portion.

The bottom portion 3 of the reed is flat so that when the reed is applied to a mouthpiece 4 it will fit tightly against a correspondingly fiat surface 5 formed on the mouthpiece 4.

The upper rear portion of the reed is arcuate in shape so that it can be clamped to the mouthpiece 4 by a suitable clamping means such as a ligature 5.

The reeds now in common use are formed as described above and have their upper rear portions curved from one of their longitudinal edges to their other longitudinal edge with the result that the or clamping means tightly press the marginal edges as well as the central portions of the rear portions of the reeds between the inner surfaces of such ligatures or clamping means and the top flat surfaces of the mouthpiece. In addition this clamping effect is transmitted to the portions 15 of the tip portion 2 adjacent to the clampable portion I.

In accordance with the present invention an improved novel reed is formed by constructing the reed in such a manner that when it is clamped to the mouthpiece by the clamping means certain marginal portions of the reed are cut-in to release adjacent portions of the reed from this clamping or binding effect of the clamping means.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention the reed is provided in addition with a construction which releases its marginal portions from the clamping means as well as the portions adjacent to the cut-in portions.

In the embodiments of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 the novel reed is provided with various shaped cut-in portions which release adjacent portions it from the clamping effect of the ligature or clamping means.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 8, the cut-in portions 2% are substantialiy semicircular in shape and are arranged in the midregion of the reed, ;:eferably in the thick portion I of the reed directly adjacent to the thickest part I5 of the tapered front portion 2 of the reed which terminates in the flexible or vibratile tip I.

These cut-in portions are arranged in opposed pairs at the longitudinal side margins of the reed and as clearly illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 release the portions 55 of the vibratile end 2 of the reed from the clamping or binding effect of the ligature 6 or other clamping means.

This results in the production of fuller and improved tones and makes it possible to obtain the first and second register tones with greater ease and less effort. It also results in the attainment or assists in the accomplishment of the various objects hereinbefore stated.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art that this result can also be obtained even though the particular shape of the cut-in portions be varied. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the cut-in portions 2i may be rectangular in shape; or as shown in Fig. i the cut-in portions 22 may be triangular in shape or Vshaped; or as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the cut-in portions 23 and 24 respectively may have some other angular or niche shape.

These various shapes of cut-in portions 28 to 24 may be used advantageously to signify a given quality, kind or type of reed in addition to imparting to the reed the new advantageous results obtained by releasing the reed from the clamping means or ligature at this particular portion.

In all of the embodiments it will be noted that the relatively sturdy backbone of the reed is maintained.

In Fig. 9 a further modification of the invention is illustrated which has the additional advantage that its longitudinal margins are released from the ligature or clamping means.

This improved reed has the cut-in portions 20 shown in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, '7 and 8, but has in addition ligature-released or recessed portions l0 extending longitudinally of the reed at its side margins.

The depth, width, length and particular shape or form of these recessed portions [0 may be varied within wide limits without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Likewise the dimensions and shape of the cutin portions 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 may be varied within wide limits without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that instead of the combination of cut-in portions 20 and recessed portions 10, other combinations might be used and still be within the scope of the present invention. For example, any of the cut-in portions 2! to 24 may be used in combination with the recessed portions l0 instead of the cut-in portions 20.

The advantages of the improved reed are numerous and correspond to the desired objects hereinbefore stated. In addition the new reed will not warp the mouthpiece because all swelling and expansion is taken up by the arrangement of the cut-in and/or recessed portions. These portions also prevent the ligature or other clamping means from bindin crushing or otherwise distorting the lay of the mouthpiece.

The freer vibration made possible by the new reed results in a much improved tone quality of greatly increased volume with less efiort. It reduces fatigue to a minimum. permits the player portion of flexible characteristics to be supported free of any clamp, said reed having portions cut out from the bottom to the top of its opposite edges between the vibratable portion and the portion to be clamped, whereby the vibratable part of the reed is adapted to vibrate with respect to the major axis of the reed and also with respect to a transverse axis located in the vibratable portion thereof.

2. A reed for musical instruments comprising a body having a thick portion for engagement by ."s

the clamp for clamping the reed to a mouthpiece, and having a. flexible tip portion tapering from said thick portion, said thick portion being characterized by the absence of surface recesses and being formed with pair of iiwaidly extending recesses, one of said being formed on each of the lateral edges of said thick portion, and said recesses being opposite each other and being located in the thick portion substantially at the beginning of the taper from said thick portion to said flexible tip portion whereby the flexible tip portion is supported free of the ligaments which clamp the reed to a mouthpiece and the tones are improved.

HENRY T. PRESCOTT. 

